France vs England Prediction: Lionesses set for tricky opener

England will get the defence of their European Championship title underway in Switzerland on Saturday evening (20:00 BST, ITV1). Sarina Wiegman will be hoping to get off to a winning start but the Lionesses are in a tough group alongside the Netherlands, Wales and this weekend’s opponents France. 

Taking place at the Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, below you can find my France vs England predictions featuring betting tips and team news.

Team News

Laurent Bonadei, who was Herve Renard’s assistant until August last year, is now in charge of the French and looking to put an end to their major tournament misery. France are yet to win one of the big ones, and Bonadei has taken an axe to the tried and tested. 

Captain Wendie Renard, most-capped player Eugenie Le Sommer, and Kenza Dali, who has 76 international appearances to her name, have all been savagely left out. They were all massive figures of this squad but the new manager has come out fighting.

“I want different results for this team so I have gone with a different selection,” he said. Sandy Baltimore and Kadidiatou Diani are two pacy attackers that could cause issues while Griedge Mbock Bathy is performing well at centre-back. 

Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway are all back from knee injuries which is a boost for Wiegman, but this still feels like an England side in transition. Since the last tournament, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby have retired, while Millie Bright withdrew from this squad, giving this team a very different feel. 

Greenwood will partner Leah Williamson at centre-back, but the midfield does now look light. Only five midfielders were nominally named and that includes Stanway, who only played 60 minutes of football for Bayern Munich last term. 

Alessia Russo, Hemp and Beth Mead offer excitement in attack, while Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly could also produce some magic. Kelly of course, was the Euros hero at Wembley in 2022, and will be hoping for another iconic moment in Switzerland.

France vs England Odds

France are priced up at 21/10 to win this game, while England are available at 7/5. That gives the Lionesses an implied win probability of 42%, while a draw in this opener can be backed at 9/4. 

Over 2.5 goals has been priced at 1/1, BTTS is 8/11 and Marie-Antoinette Katoto is the favourite to score first at 5/1. 

Draw @ 9/4 

I think a draw is the most likely outcome between these two European giants in Zurich. France are flying right now and have won six games in a row, including hammering the hosts Switzerland 4-0 in the Nations League. They’ve also beaten Brazil 3-2 during that run and are a force to be reckoned with, but this is a major tournament and they don’t seem to do too well when it comes down to it. 

I have my reservations about England this time around, especially given they could be slightly undercooked heading into the tournament. However, the attacking talent is obvious for all to see, while Williamson is a key figure at the back. Both teams have beaten Belgium 5-0 recently, and I don’t think either would be too unhappy with a point in this opener. I think there’s a big price on offer given the strength of both outfits. 

Today's Football Fixtures

Lauren James to score from outside the area @ 11/1

Lauren James has struggled with injuries throughout this season, but now back fit, is likely to play a big part in England’s success. I’d predict her to start as the attacking option in the midfield three ahead of Toone, alongside Stanway and Kiera Walsh. 

We all know about her talent and if she gets back to her best, England will be dangerous. I think she will have a big say in this one, having scored three goals in nine WSL matches this term. She’s dangerous from free-kicks, but I’ve expanded this to back James to score from outside the area at a big price. 

Offers

We will be Top Price on England Women to beat France Women with selected bookmakers using Oddschecker for the comparison. (Available from 09:30 Saturday)

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